Scientists say they now have a near-perfect picture of the genetic events that cause breast cancer.............The international team looked at all 3 billion letters of people's genetic code - their entire blueprint of life - in 560 breast cancers. They uncovered 93 sets of instructions, or genes, that if mutated, can cause tumours. Some have been discovered before, but scientists expect this to be the definitive list, barring a few rare mutations.

Dr Emma Smith, from Cancer Research UK, said: "This study brings us closer to getting a complete picture of the genetic changes at the heart of breast cancer and throws up intriguing clues about the key biological processes that go wrong in cells and drive the disease. "Understanding these underlying processes has already led to more effective treatments for patients, so genetic studies on this scale could be an important stepping stone towards developing new drugs and boosting the number of people who survive cancer."